Birthplace of Route 66 Festival canceled because of coronavirus

The Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri, one of the biggest events on the Mother Road, announced Monday it would cancel the Aug. 14-15 event because of concerns about coronavirus.

The festival’s steering committee voted unanimously to cancel.

The Ozarks Independent reported:

“Last year’s attendance was 65,000 over two days and we were projecting to top 75,000 this year, based on tempo of registrations,” Cora Scott, director of Public Information & Civic Engagement for the City of Springfield and festival steering committee member, said in a statement. “We think this is the right thing to do to protect participants, staff, spectators (who come from all around the world) and our community. We will offer full refunds or the option to apply fees toward the 2021 festival.” […]
“I am very impressed with fellow committee members because this cancellation is no easy thing,” she added. “We are looking forward to celebrating the Birthplace of Route 66 next year and hope to make the 2021 festival the best one yet.”

The Springfield News-Leader reports that festival vendors should contact Tom Mast at masterfuleventsmo@gmail.com or (417) 402-9876 and exhibitors should contact Shirley Robbins at (417) 773-7714 by Aug. 1 to get a refund or roll over their fee to the 2021 festival. Musical acts and motorcycle show vendors and exhibitors should contact Laura Dannegger at laurad@autoinjury.com or (417) 889-1400.

Car show participants who registered online with a credit card should log in to the festival’s EventBrite page and request a refund or roll the fee over. Participants who registered with cash or a check and want a refund should email springfieldroute66carshow@gmail.com.

The festival takes its name from a 1926 meeting of transportation officials in downtown Springfield in which the number “66” was accepted for the fledgling Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway.

(Screen-shot image of the 2016 Birthplace of Route 66 Festival from KLOR-TV)